Narrow Band Uvb Light For Vitiligo

Phototherapy is an effective and well tolerated treatment option.

Narrow band uvb light for vitiligo.

In 1978 phototherapy was officially recognized as one of the psoriasis and eczema treatment methods. The initial nbuvb dose mj cm2 will be the same for all patients with vitiligo. It is 200 mj cm2. During phototherapy sessions a machine emitting rays of narrow band uvb nb uvb light is directed at the area of the body being treated.

Narrowband uvb phototherapy the basics narrowband uvb has become the phototherapy treatment of choice for psoriasis vitiligo and eczema because it delivers the largest amounts of the most beneficial wavelengths of uv light while minimizing the potentially harmful wavelengths. In 1927 the first positive results of psoriasis light therapy were documented. Narrowband uvb phototherapy is one of them. 1 nb uvb may be a first line treatment for generalized vitiligo.

This region has been determined to help stimulate pigment cells to produce melanocytes in less time than it takes to burn the skin. Record this irradiance on the phototherapy record sheet or keep an irradiance log book for the equipment used in patient care. Overview narrowband uvb nb uvb is the most widely prescribed type of phototherapy for vitiligo. Narrowband uvb phototherapy is a potent melanocytes stimulant and currently seen as the phototherapy of choice for vitiligo.

Phototherapy for vitiligo is beneficial because it can target large areas of skin without the side effects of oral or topical medications. Question how much response to phototherapy might patients with vitiligo expect. For generalized vitiligo nb uvb produces better pigmentation than psoralen. The use of uvb light treatment for vitiligo happened almost 20 years later.

Wavelengths of 311 312 nm typically are used. Vitiligo is a photo responsive autoimmune dermatosis in which melanocytes are killed causing a lack of melanin and subsequent hypopigmentation. Findings in this meta analysis of 35 studies comprising 1428 patients an at least mild response to narrowband uv b phototherapy occurred in 74 at 6 months and 75 at 12 months and a marked response was achieved in 19 at 6 months and 36 at 12 months. Narrowband uvb now considered the gold standard of treatment for vitiligo covering more than 20 of the body narrowband uvb nb uses the portion of the uvb spectrum from 311 312 nm.

A session takes only a few minutes and patients can receive. It is a medical procedure which involves exposing vitiligo lesions to fluorescent lamps which emit the ultraviolet light of a range of wavelengths between 310 and 315 nanometers. Narrowband uv b nb uvb is widely used and has become the first choice of phototherapy for adults and children with generalized vitiligo.